Apparatus, method, and program for managing network instrument connected to network

Abstract

An information processing apparatus for managing a network instrument connected to a network is disclosed. This apparatus includes a storage device storing setting information of a network instrument as a management target, a receiving device receiving the setting information of the network instrument, a comparing device comparing the setting information stored in the storage device with the setting information received from the network instrument, a setting device overwriting the setting information stored in the storage device on setting of the network instrument if the setting information stored in the storage device is different from the setting information received from the network instrument as a result of comparison by the comparing device, and a priority setting device setting a network instrument which gives priority on the setting information in the storage device and a network instrument which gives no priority on the setting information in the storage device.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An information processing apparatus for managing a plurality of printers connected to a network, comprising:
 a database which stores first setting information of the plurality of printers as a management target, wherein the first setting information includes at least one of network settings of a printer, a name of a printer and location information at which a printer is located; 
 a priority setting unit which gives a priority to either the first setting information or setting information set on a printer via a user interface, for each of the plurality of printers; 
 a receiving unit which receives second setting information set on a target printer from the target printer; 
 a comparing unit which compares the first setting information with the received second setting information; 
 a setting restore unit which controls to set the target printer with the first setting information without using the received second setting information, if the first setting information is different from the received second setting information as a result of the comparison made by the comparing unit and if the first setting information is given the priority by the priority setting unit, so that the second setting information set on the target printer is automatically restored by the first setting information; and 
 a database update unit which overwrites the first setting information with the received second setting information, if the first setting information is different from the received second setting information as a result of the comparison made by the comparing unit and if the second setting information set on the target printer is given the priority by the priority setting unit, so that the first setting information is updated by the received second setting information without updating the second setting information set on the target printer by using the first setting information. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a comparison item designation unit which individually designates items of the first and second setting information to be compared by the comparing unit and overwritten by the setting restore unit or the database update unit. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a designation unit which individually designates items of the first and second setting information to be overwritten by the setting restore unit or the database update unit. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a setting change unit which changes the second setting information, wherein the priority setting unit gives priority to the first setting information, as the second setting information is to be set on the target printer whose second setting information is changed by the setting change unit. 
     
     
       5. An information processing method of managing a plurality of printers connected to a network, comprising the steps of:
 storing in a database first setting information of the plurality of printers as a management target, wherein the first setting information includes at least one of network settings of a printer, a name of a printer and location information at which a printer is located; 
 giving a priority to either the first setting information or setting information set on a printer via a user interface, for each of the plurality of printers; 
 receiving second setting information set on a target printer from the target printer; 
 comparing the first setting information with the received second setting information; 
 controlling to set the target printer with the first setting information without using the received second setting information, if the first setting information is different from the received second setting information as a result of the comparison made in the comparing step and if the first setting information is given the priority in the giving priority step, so that the second setting information set on the target printer is automatically restored by the first setting information; and 
 overwriting the first setting information with the received second setting information, if the first setting information is different from the second setting information set on the target printer as a result of the comparison made in the comparing step and if the second setting information set on the target printer is given the priority in the giving priority step, so that the first setting information is updated by the received second setting information without updating the second setting information set on the target printer by using the first setting information. 
 
     
     
       6. An information processing program stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, for causing a computer to manage a plurality of printers connected to a network, the program causing a computer to execute a method, the method comprising steps of:
 storing in a database first setting information of the plurality of printers as a management target, wherein the first setting information includes at least one of network settings of a printer, a name of a printer and location information at which a printer is located; 
 giving a priority to either the first setting information or setting information set on a printer via a user interface, for each of the plurality of printers; 
 receiving second setting information set on a target printer from the target printer; 
 comparing the first setting information with the received second setting information; 
 controlling to set the target printer with the first setting information without using the received second setting information, if the first setting information is different from the received second setting information as a result of the comparison made in the comparing step and if the first setting information is given the priority in the giving priority step, so that the second setting information set on the target printer is automatically restored by the first setting information; and 
 overwriting the first setting information with the received second setting information, if the first setting information is different from the second setting information set on the target printer as a result of the comparison made in the comparing step and if the second setting information set on the target printer is given the priority in the giving priority step, so that the first setting information is updated by the received second setting information without updating the second setting information set on the target printer by using the first setting information. 
 
     
     
       7. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising an execution timing control unit which controls a timing of overwriting of the second setting information by the setting restore unit, wherein the execution timing control unit controls to execute the overwriting of the second setting information at a time designated by a user, or repeatedly at a time interval set by a user or a system.